The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health Care Workers' Anxiety Levels: Protocol for a Meta-Analysis.

Lunbo Zhang,Kaito Takashima,Wenru Guo,Ming Yan,Yuki Yamada

doi:10.2196/24136

Abstract

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has been declared a public health emergency of international concern; this has caused excessive anxiety among health care workers. In addition, publication bias and low-quality publications have become widespread, which can result in the dissemination of unreliable findings.ObjectiveThis paper presents the protocol for a meta-analysis with the following two aims: (1) to examine the prevalence of anxiety among health care workers and determine whether it has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) to investigate whether there has been an increase in publication bias.MethodsAll related studies that were published/released from 2015 to 2020 will be searched in electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, PsyArXiv, and medRxiv). The risk of bias in individual studies will be assessed using the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) checklist. The heterogeneity of the studies will be assessed using the I2 statistic. The effect size (prevalence rates of anxiety) and a 95% CI for each paper will also be calculated. We will use a moderator analysis to test for the effect of COVID-19 on health care workers’ anxiety levels and detect publication bias in COVID-19 studies. We will also assess publication bias using the funnel plot and Egger regression. In case of publication bias, if studies have no homogeneity, the trim-and-fill procedure will be applied to adjust for missing studies.ResultsDatabase searches will commence in November 2020. The meta-analysis will be completed within 2 months of the start date.ConclusionsThis meta-analysis aims to provide comprehensive evidence about whether COVID-19 increases the prevalence of anxiety among health care workers and whether there has been an increase in publication bias and a deterioration in the quality of publications due to the pandemic. The results of this meta-analysis can provide evidence to help health managers to make informed decisions related to anxiety prevention in health care workers.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/24136

Highlights

Questions The COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than 18.9 million individuals and resulted in over 709,000 deaths globally [1]
This meta-analysis aims to provide comprehensive evidence about whether COVID-19 increases the prevalence of anxiety among health care workers and whether there has been an increase in publication bias and a deterioration in the quality of publications due to the pandemic
The results of this meta-analysis can provide evidence to help health managers to make informed decisions related to anxiety prevention in health care workers

Summary

Objective

This paper presents the protocol for a meta-analysis with the following two aims: (1) to examine the prevalence of anxiety among health care workers and determine whether it has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) to investigate whether there has been an increase in publication bias

Methods

Conclusions

Introduction

Discussion